SELENA DARCK'S POV:

What... have I done?

My legs trembled from the guilt that washed over me as thousands of Dwarves were burned to ash. I knew there was no way to stop the monster that was devastating the enemy, and I knew that the boy whom I considered my own son was no longer present.

Even though it was the only way to win, why did it have to hurt so much? Why did my family have to be the price I had to pay to save my people?

The final cries of pain died down alongside the constant stream of scorching flames, leaving only the silhouette of a young man in the wake of destruction.

Silence engulfed all of Lares. Everyone could only watch as trails of smoke vanished into the sunny sky, as the boy who had slaughtered an entire army stood motionless and void of emotion. His expression remained neutral, but upon meeting his gaze, I felt a stream of tears surge within me.

Those purple eyes that shined with unparalleled brilliance looked at me sadly, as if the person behind them was shattered and conflicted. I approached the boy, gently stroking his hair without a sound. Jay lay still, almost like a tree that was rooted deeply within the ground below, accepting my touch without muttering anything.

The words that I wanted to utter slowly came to mind as I opened my mouth, filling the deep silence with the soft sound of my broken voice.

"I am so sorry, Jay."

I recalled the words of one of the Shadows that had reported the unusual friendship and mutual respect that had developed between Jay and Ares. My eyes scanned the battlefield, locating the lifeless body of the S-rank.magic

"I'm sorry," I said again, dropping to my knees as I fought the urge to breakdown into a waterfall of tears filled with sorrow and regret. Jay touched my shoulder gently as if he was afraid to hurt me, afraid that he couldn't control his own strength anymore.

"Thank you, Selena."

I looked up to meet the boy's gaze, unsure as to why he was thanking me. I had done nothing but curse his existence, and because of my actions, he would most likely be unable to live his life. Because of me, Jay Cadmium was doomed to be killed by his own loved ones."Why are you thanking me?" I muttered, "I'm causing you so much pain. I can see you struggling to maintain control over your own mind, and it'll be a fight you'll have to keep up for the rest of your life."

"You gave me a way to save those I cherish. That's something I'll be eternally grateful for."

"At what cost..."

"It doesn't matter to me anymore. My final fight in this world will be against myself, and that's a fight I can't run away from any longer."

"..."

Jay advanced, softly lifting his hand off of my shoulder. He stopped a few mels behind me and looked back.

"You were like a mother to me, Selena. Thank you for everything."

I covered my mouth with my hand, trembling as small streams of tears began to fall down onto the bloody soil below. I didn't dare look back at the small silhouette of Jay. The next time we'd meet would be as enemies, and I knew that looking back now would only shatter my heart.

Jay continued onwards, walking past his friends without turning to meet their eyes. Mia opened her mouth to say something, her hand reaching forward briefly, before ultimately remaining silent and letting her friend pass through the cyan blue portal.

Thousands of roars echoed throughout Lares as wyverns that had been forcefully kept at bay by Jay emerged from behind the islands. Their majestic figures approached the portal with terrifying speed, following the call of their god as they dove into the gateway.

Jay was going to use the wyverns to devastate the land, and in turn, would force all the nations to unite in an attempt to defeat him. It was a horrifying plan that would turn all the hatred of Auroria onto one individual, and with the defeat of that person, the hate would die alongside him.

It was the ultimate sacrifice... and it was one a fourteen-year-old boy had to shoulder.

I'm sorry, Jay.AMELIA LALA'S POV:

"We won't last much longer economically," announced the advisor at the large round table. "I believe negotiations might be in order if we are to survive as a nation."

King Roy grunted, his eyes gazing into the table as he attempted to piece together a solution. His stance on the matter was crystal clear, but as King, he pretended to contemplate his decision before voicing his opinion.

"It seems like we have no other choice."

"We may be in a state of steady decline, but have not reached our limits," added Jean. I was surprised to see the blonde warrior so determined to keep fighting, but something within her character seemed to reject the idea of surrender. "We should wait a few more days."

"I agree," I said, raising my voice slightly. I could see the distorted expression of frustration on King Roy's face, but he slowly composed himself before answering.

"I will not let this kingdom fall to ruin. I recognize both your voices and concerns as the superpowers of this nation, but there are limits."

I nodded in agreement. Roy smiled at my understanding, but his mood quickly soured as I contested his point once again.

"A few more days will not leave this kingdom in ruin, Your Majesty. The Fei forces have shown no suggestions that a direct assault is imminent, and the people are still living relatively comfortably. There is no motive behind a surrender now."

"I believe a solution will arise. We simply need to wait a little longer," continued Jean. Our political power surpassed even that of the official advisors, but even we were subjects of the King. We could only rely on his desire to remain good relations with us to achieve what we wanted.

"How much time do you want?" he grumbled, seemingly giving in. I could feel the disapproving glares from the advisors, but they were powerless in a discussion between the King and us S-ranks.

"Forty-eight hours, Your Majesty. If we don't receive any news from our allies during that time, we'll both support an official surrender," I replied confidently, meeting Jay's gaze with a small nod. "However, if the Dragons reach out to us, then we'll act accordingly. It will all depend on the information given to us."

"Very well..." mumbled King Roy, conceding to our demands. "You have forty-eight hours Amelia. If after that time, we hear nothing, then we'll begin negotiations with the Dominion immediately."

I got up, bowing slightly in acknowledgment and exiting the royal chambers followed shortly after by Jean. We remained absolutely silent, walking down the long hallways before entering the luxurious quarters given to the S-ranks.

I looked ahead happily, seeing the waving white hair of our new guest as she stood calmly on the balcony. The girl turned around elegantly, her red eyes gazing at me intently as she awaited the news.

"It worked out perfectly, Asthia."